Devotions

Jesus told the parable of the prodigal as a teaching tool to get across a great truth. This parable is not only about forgiveness of a lost man. Even more so, it is about the delight of the father who greets his son.

You know the story. A young man took his portion of his father’s inheritance and squandered it on riotous living. He ended up broken, ruined in health and spirit. At his lowest point, he decided to return to his father. Scripture tells us, “And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him” (Luke 15:20, NKJV).

Note that nothing hindered this father’s forgiveness of the young man. There was nothing this boy had to do, not even to confess his sins, because the father had already made provision for reconciliation. The father ran to his son and embraced him as soon as he saw the boy coming up the road. The truth is that forgiveness is never a problem for any loving father. Likewise, it’s never a problem with our heavenly Father when he sees a repentant child. Forgiveness simply is not the issue in this parable.

In fact, Jesus makes it clear that it wasn’t enough for this prodigal merely to be forgiven. The father didn’t embrace his son just to forgive him and let him go his way. No, that father yearned for his son’s restoration. He wanted his child’s company, his presence, and communion.

Even though the prodigal was forgiven and in favor once more, he still wasn’t settled in his father’s house. Only then would the father be satisfied, his joy fulfilled when his son was brought into his company. That is the issue in this parable.

In the father’s eyes, this son who had returned home was a new man. His past would never be brought up again. The father was saying, in essence, “As far as I’m concerned, the old you is dead. Now, walk with me as a new man. That is my estimation of you. There is no need for you to live under guilt. Don’t keep talking about your sin, your unworthiness. The sin problem is settled. Now, come boldly into my presence and partake of my mercy and grace. I delight in you!”

The Lord has great joy that the cross has provided us with open access to himself. Indeed, the most glorious moment in history was when the temple veil was rent in two on the day that Christ died. At that moment, the earth trembled, the rocks split and the graves were opened.

It was at this very moment that the benefit to God burst forth. In the instant that the temple veil — separating man from God’s holy presence — was torn asunder, something incredible happened. From that point on, not only was man able to enter into the Lord’s presence, but God could come out to man.

Before the cross, there was no access to God for the general public; only the high priest could enter the Holy of Holies. Now Jesus’ cross made a path for us into the Father’s presence. He who once dwelt in “thick darkness” didn’t wait for us to come to him, but he came out to us. God himself took the initiative, and Christ’s blood cleared away all hindrances. It was a unilateral move on the Lord’s part, the kind when one party declares, “Enough. I’m going to make peace. I’m going to tear down this wall of partition.” By his grace alone, God tore down the wall that blocked us from his presence. Now he could come out to man, to embrace his prodigals.

You cannot come into joy and peace — indeed, you cannot know how to serve the Lord — until you see his delight in your deliverance, until you see the joy of his heart over his communion with you, until you see that every wall has been removed at the cross, until you know that everything of your past has been judged and wiped away. God says, “I want you to move on into the fullness that awaits you in my presence!”

Multitudes today rejoice in the wonderful benefits of the cross. They have moved out of bondage, and they’re standing on the victory side of their trial. They enjoy freedom. They thank God continually for defeating their oppressors, but many of these same believers miss God’s greater purpose and benefit to them. They miss why the Lord has brought them out, which is to bring them in to himself.

There are two sides to Christ’s work at Calvary. One side is to the benefit of man, and the other side is to the benefit of God. One benefits the sinner, while the other benefits the Father.

We are well acquainted with the benefit on the human side. The cross of Christ has provided us with forgiveness of our sins. We are given the power of victory over all bondages and dominion over sin. We are supplied with mercy and grace. Of course, we are given the promise of eternal life. The cross has given us the means of escape from the terrors of sin and hell.

I thank God for this benefit of the cross to humankind and for the wonderful relief it brings. I rejoice that it is preached week after week in churches all over the world.

Yet there is another benefit of the cross, one that we know very little about. This one is to the benefit to the Father. We understand very little about the delight of the Father that was made possible by the cross. It’s a delight that comes to him whenever he receives a prodigal child into his house.

In my opinion, most Christians have learned to come boldly before God for forgiveness, supply of needs and answers to prayer; but they lack boldness in this aspect of faith, an aspect that is just as crucial in their walk with the Lord.

This is why scripture says, “Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which he consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, his flesh…. Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water” (Hebrews 10:19–20, 22, NKJV).

If all we focus on about the cross is forgiveness, we miss an important truth that God has meant for us about the cross. There is a fuller understanding to be had here, and it has to do with his delight. This truth provides God’s people with much more than just relief. It brings liberty, rest, peace and joy.

I confess to you that there is one thing I fear more than any other thing in my life: the sin of covetousness, a love for the things of this world, a lust for more and better material possessions.

Covetousness has enslaved the hearts of many Christians. People can’t seem to get enough, and their debt is piling up. They think our nation’s prosperity will never end.  Americans have gone mad with acquisitiveness. We are now on a spending spree that has baffled experts.

Jesus warned us to hold lightly to the things of this world. We are to give thanks to him for his blessings and to give generously to the needs of the poor, but we are never to let anything of this world steal our hearts.

Recently, I prayed with a dear sister in the Lord who is dying of cancer; she has been in great pain for many weeks, but what a beautiful testimony she is to all who know her. There is no complaining, no sorrow, no questioning of the Lord’s greatness and faithfulness. She told me she feels a magnetic pull toward Jesus, and that she is now “there with Christ” more than here on earth. She blessed me with her rejoicing hope and rest in the Lord.

I once heard a very righteous minister say, “I just want to finish my work and get out of here.” Some who heard him say this thought he was being unthankful for the gift of life, but the apostle Paul declared virtually the same thing. He wrote, “If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account” (Philippians 1:22-24, NKJV).

God does not want us to feel guilty for his blessings upon us, as long as we keep it all at arm’s length. According to Paul, heaven — being in the Lord’s presence for all eternity — is something we are to desire with all our hearts.

Here’s one of the most frustrating passages of scripture for me: “Behold, a man from the crowd cried out, ‘Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, for he is my only child. And behold, a spirit seizes him…. And I begged your disciples to cast it out, but they could not.’ Jesus answered, ‘O faithless and twisted generation, how long am I to be with you and bear with you? Bring your son here.’ While he was coming, the demon threw him to the ground and convulsed him. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit and healed the boy, and gave him back to his father. And all were astonished at the majesty of God” (Luke 9:38-43, ESV).

When I read that passage, I feel it in my heart. The words “they could not” resonate with me. I see a person in need of real intercessory prayer, and I sometimes feel like I can’t help them with prayer because the doubtful question “What happens if it doesn’t work?” comes to me along with fear, unbelief and all kinds of things in my heart. I wrestle with this.

I wanted to tell you because this mentality, this fear, is something we all have to contend with in prayer. I hope that you’re not content to leave that fear unchallenged, that you won’t be satisfied with dry religion and tradition. We should want to live differently in a way that really makes us depend on God and trust him, and that means living out the gospel. This means believing and acting as if the Bible isn’t just a book to read, study and get sermons from or a self-help guide.

We want to press into heaven and believe scripture when it says, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death” (Revelation 12:10-11).

There’s power in the blood of Jesus! There is power in the Word of God.